


room for one more

by buckybarnes



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Christmas Party Regret, Columbus Blue Jackets, M/M, Misunderstandings, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-16 23:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13064517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckybarnes/pseuds/buckybarnes
Summary: Artemi knows he slept with one of his linemates last night. He just can't exactly remember which one.





	room for one more

Artemi knows he slept with one of his linemates last night. He just can't exactly remember which one.

The Christmas party had gotten a little out of hand. He wishes he could say he’d stayed out of the worst of it, but the evidence is plastered all over Instagram; Artemi with his arm thrown around Zach’s shoulder, laughing like a lunatic.

Josh and Luc hadn’t been much better off. For two huge guys, they really can’t handle their liquor. There are photos of them, too; Artemi laughs at the photo of the three of them holding up sandwich ingredients, remembering how he’d thought Luc was going to pass out laughing when he’d suggested it.

And then he squints a little closer at the photo. Whichever one he’d slept with, he supposes he could’ve done a lot worse.

Artemi locks his phone and groans; the glow from the screen isn’t doing much to help his headache. He’s a little embarrassed that he’s this hungover, but it’s not his fault that guys always insist on doing vodka shots with him. At least he has Sergei to share the duties of Token Russian with.

He knows he should get up and head over to the rink – he makes a mental note to ask who the _fuck_ scheduled the party on the night before a gameday – but it’s not just his hangover holding him back. Going to the rink means seeing Luc and Josh, two guys he’d gotten along with pretty well up until this point, and one of which – based on how his ass is feeling – had their dick in him last night.

He can always just pretend that he doesn’t understand English.

* * *

 Artemi gets to the rink early in hopes of avoiding his linemates before game time. As usual, Sergei is there early, too, doing his stretches in the hallway. He doesn’t look much better than Artemi feels.

“Lots of fun last night,” Sergei says in Russian with the expression of someone who decidedly did not have fun last night.

“Do they always make you drink that much vodka?” Artemi asks, sticking his tongue out. He thinks his mouth still burns a little bit.

Sergei shrugs. “Better than their shitty Canadian beer,” he says, reaching for his Gatorade bottle.

“I slept with someone last night,” Artemi sighs, and Sergei does an honest-to-God spit take.

“Gross,” Artemi mutters, and Sergei shoves him.

“Who?” Sergei demands.

“One of my linemates.”

Sergei nods expectantly. “Yes, so, Luc or Josh. Which one?”

Artemi winces. “One of them?” His voice goes high and squeaky. Sergei gasps, loud and dramatic like those characters in the Russian soap operas that Olya’s always watching when Artemi visits.

“You don’t _know_?”

Artemi crosses his arms defensively. “I know it was one of them.”

Bob’s mouth is still open slightly. “How can you not _know_?”

“I was drunk,” Artemi says, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, they kind of look the same. They’re both giant and Canadian. And hot. They’re both really hot.”

“You might want to find out. Although, the sexual tension might actually improve your on-ice chemistry,” Bob says thoughtfully. He shrugs at Artemi and returns to his stretches.

* * *

 The locker room before the game is quieter than usual. Everyone looks about as awful as Artemi feels.

He purposely hasn’t spoken to Luc or Josh yet. The two of them, however, have spoken to each other. They’ve been whispering to each other since they came in, occasionally sneaking a glance at Artemi when they think he isn’t looking. He should’ve expected gossip; it always happens when you sleep with a teammate. At this rate, the rest of the team is going to know who he slept with before he does. Maybe he can find out from Sergei.

Torts gives his pre-game speech. Artemi is staying on a line with Luc and Josh; from what he’s learned about Torts and his tactics, it’s impressive that any line has managed to stay together for this long. Before last night, Artemi had been thrilled about finally having consistent linemates. It’s easier to make friends on a team when you’re playing with the same guys night after night. Now, though, he avoids looking his linemates in the eye. Luc and Josh continue their whispering. Artemi really just wants to go lie down in a dark room, and it’s not even entirely because of the hangover.

* * *

The game is a nightmare. The whole team moves exactly like a group of guys who had way too much fun last night. Sergei lets in five and gets pulled, and Artemi gives him a sympathetic look as he replaces Korpi on the bench. Artemi understands wanting to get Sergei out of there, but Korpi had actually thrown up in the trashcan outside of the locker room before the game started, so it’s probably not going to be much of an improvement.

Oliver finally gets them on the board in the third period, but it’s meaningless at this point. Artemi’s line finishes the game with no points. Their chemistry had been off all night; Artemi’s passes weren’t connecting, Luc and Josh were never where Artemi thought they would be. Artemi half hopes that this means their line will get split up.

Torts doesn’t say much after the game, just tells them to head home and clear their heads. Nick is the same. It’s discouraging, but there aren’t really many encouraging words to say after getting trampled like that. The locker room is even quieter than it was before the game; guys are getting out quickly, not hanging around to chat like they might after a win. Artemi uses it to his advantage, grabbing his bag and slipping out before Luc or Josh have a chance to confront him. He sees Josh start to step forward out of the corner of his eye and if he starts to walk a little faster, well, Artemi isn’t perfect. Sometimes you have to speed-walk away from your problems like a man.

* * *

On Friday morning, Artemi’s alarm is replaced by pounding on his door. His dog yaps at the foot of his bed and Artemi grumbles. Artemi doesn’t really get visitors unless he’s ordered delivery, so whatever this is must be important.

He throws on a pair of old pajama pants and stumbles downstairs. He feels better than he did yesterday morning, but bad-loss hangover is just barely better than too-much-vodka hangover.

“I didn’t order any Chinese food,” he mumbles as he swings the door open.

“Good, because we didn’t bring any,” Josh says, raising his eyebrows.

Artemi blinks. Josh is standing on his doorstep, arms crossed. Luc is there, too, standing behind Josh like he’s hiding. He half-waves at Artemi. Artemi’s standing there with his mouth slightly open, probably looking like a dumbass. Josh realizes that Artemi’s probably not going to speak first.

“Listen, can we come in? We really need to talk about this.”

Artemi sighs and opens the door a little wider. Josh takes a seat on Artemi’s couch without invitation and Luc follows, if a little more tentatively. Artemi suddenly feels like he’s in an episode of _Intervention_.

“So, about what happened at the party–“ Josh starts.

“I don’t know which one of you I slept with,” Artemi blurts out. “I remember that it was one of you but I was drunk and it was dark and I don’t remember,” he continues, speaking faster than he thinks he ever has in English.

Josh furrows his brow. “What do you mean ‘which one of us?’” he asks.

“I slept with one of you, right?” Artemi asks, confused. God, he really hopes he had at least gotten this part right.

“Dude, you slept with both of us,” Luc says, speaking for the first time. He’s blushing.

“You walked in on us at the party,” Josh adds. “You seemed interested and we like you, so we asked you to join. You were pretty enthusiastic about it.”

And now everything makes a whole hell of a lot of sense. Artemi realizes why he remembers Luc’s voice, Josh’s hands, parts of both of them –

“Why have you been ignoring us?” Luc asks, looking hurt. Artemi looks down at his hands.

“I didn’t know which one of you I was supposed to be talking to,” Artemi mutters. “And – I don’t know. I’ve had bad experiences in the past, sleeping with teammates. I didn’t want to ruin anything.”

Luc’s expression softens. “Josh and I – we’ve only been together for a few months,” he says. “You were our first time… adding someone else into the mix. And we… we really like you. I get if you just want to stay friends,” Luc adds quickly. “But we’re open, if you want in.”

“I do think I’d like to try at least once when I know I’ll remember both of you,” Artemi says with a half-smile. “My bedroom’s upstairs.” Artemi swallows, suddenly hoping he hadn’t been too forward and messed this up already.

Josh tries to get up the stairs so fast he nearly trips.

* * *

The game against the Islanders had looked uncertain for a while, but they’d fought back and Artemi couldn’t feel more relieved as the clock ticks down. He’d had two assists, one on Luc’s goal, and things were starting to feel like they were supposed to again. Josh puts it in the empty net as the final horn sounds, and Artemi beams, crashing into him with a hug.

After they’ve thanked Sergei with the traditional half-hugs and head pats, Artemi and Josh skate back towards the locker room together. Josh leans in close.

“I’m cooking for me and Luc tonight,” he says. “My place. Come by if you want.”

* * *

(Cooking to Josh Anderson apparently means Kraft dinner. He needs Luc’s help following the directions. Artemi thinks it’s one of the better meals he’s ever had.)

 

**Author's Note:**

> please don't split them up @tortsofficial


End file.
